Domestic Marijuana Production and Regulation Argumentative Essay by Nicky

Argues in favor of legally regulated marijuana cultivation and sales.
# 146112 | 1,482 words | 12 sources | APA | 2010 | US
Published on Dec 15, 2010 in Medical and Health (Drugs) , Psychology (Alcohol and Drugs)


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Description:

This paper examines both sides of the argument regarding legalization of marijuana, concluding that it should be legalized and regulated by the government. The paper gives background information about marijuana, discussing how various states have approached legal issues regarding its use. Then, the paper points to prohibition, comparing it to similar issues with marijuana legalization. This leads to a further exploration of how government policy shows unequal treatment between alcohol, tobacco and marijuana. The paper then argues in favor of appropriate and logically consistent marijuana laws would regulate domestic marijuana production to ensure its quality and relative safety in conjunction with taxing the product, just as is the case with both tobacco and alcohol products. The paper concludes by stating that instead of subjecting marijuana users to criminal prosecution, government authorities should simply apply the same approach to marijuana as has been traditionally applied to alcohol and tobacco.


Outline:
Background and History:
Legal Issues
Government Paternalism and Prohibition:
The Advantages of Legalized Domestic Production
The Injustice of Unequal Regulation of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Marijuana
Conclusion

From the Paper:

"Critics of contemporary U.S. law pertaining to marijuana use suggest that there is no logical basis for treating marijuana sale and use any differently from that associated with other substances consumed recreationally for their mood-altering effects, such as
alcohol and tobacco. According to that view, marijuana should be produced, regulated, and taxed in the exact same manner as alcohol and tobacco. Proponents of criminal sanctions for marijuana use and possession maintain that it is a dangerous "gateway" drug that dramatically increases the likelihood of progression to more harmful drugs of abuse, such as cocaine, methamphetamine, and heroin, mainly because most users of hard drugs smoked marijuana first."

Sample of Sources Used:

  • Brecher, E.M. (1972). Licit and Illicit Drugs: The Consumers Union Report. Boston: Little, Brown & Co.
  • Dershowitz, A. (2002). Shouting Fire: Civil Liberties in a Turbulent Age. New York: Bantam Books.
  • Drug Policy Alliance. (2008). Medicinal Marijuana. Retrieved February 17, 2009 from the Drug Policy Alliance website, at:http://www.drugpolicy.org/marijuana/medical/
  • Friedman, A. (2005). A History of American Law. New York: Touchstone.
  • Gerrig, R.J., Zimbardo, R.G. (2005) Psychology and Life 18th Ed. New Jersey: Prentice Hall.

Cite this Argumentative Essay:

APA Format

Domestic Marijuana Production and Regulation (2010, December 15) Retrieved September 28, 2023, from https://www.academon.com/argumentative-essay/domestic-marijuana-production-and-regulation-146112/

MLA Format

"Domestic Marijuana Production and Regulation" 15 December 2010. Web. 28 September. 2023. <https://www.academon.com/argumentative-essay/domestic-marijuana-production-and-regulation-146112/>

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